


Like Morning Follows Night

by Qrow_is_Bae



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M, Multi, Pseudo-Incest, weird ass timeline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-26
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2018-10-24 07:35:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10737081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qrow_is_Bae/pseuds/Qrow_is_Bae
Summary: After Pyrrha died, ruby's power went off but something went wrong. now Qrow won't leave the room.





	1. Paralyzed

**Author's Note:**

> dont read if you haven't watched volume 3 and i ignored the last bit of volume three and ignored volume four to make my own timeline
> 
> there will probably be a lot of nora and lie ren later but i haven't decided, there will be a lot of characters but they are not all listed  
> also this is my first fanfiction i hope you enjoy
> 
> one more thing is that i am very fond of short chapters so no one chapter should be that long

Sitting silently, I take another sip of whiskey from my flask. Empty bottles of various alcohol are strewn across the blinding white room. Across from me stands Ruby Rose, the silver-eyed, valiant warrior. She's dead, but very much alive, or rather, she is... frozen. Ruby Rose, my beloved Ruby, my niece is frozen. After she saw Pyrrha die, her mysterious power, the power of the silver eyes was activated in her. But something went horribly wrong. The huge Grimm was still on top of Beacon tower, Cinder Fall was nowhere to be seen, but instead of passing out like she should have, Ruby froze as well. Dejection, despondency, desolation, and rage rest on her never changing face. Atlas Scientists took away from the tower and hooked her up to their so called "state of the art technology" to keep her alive, but if it is so state of the art then why is she still like this? It's been a month now, probably, and I haven't left this room once. I drink and drink until I pass out, and most of the time, I wake up to a cold meal that someone left so that I wouldn't starve. Tai, Yang, and her other friends, minus Weiss and Blake visit every so often but now their visits are even less frequent, Yang comes the least often of all of them.

"Uncle Qrow?" Speak of the devil

"What is it?" Turning two bloodshot eyes towards my other niece, I try to sound composed, but instead I sound broken, beaten, and quiet. This was harder on me than anyone else, I don't know why. I have a strong connection with Ruby, but so do her friends. Why am I suffering the most? More than her sister... More than her father.

"You've been in here for almost three months now, you need exercise." She looked worried but I don't care. Also, so it's been three months, not one. I must have slept a lot.

"I'm fine... Between drinking and sleeping, I move around a lot, and I'm still just as strong too." I gesture towards the multiple indentations on the metal wall from me punching it out of frustration. "I'm....Fine"

"No you're not Qrow."

"I see you got a new arm."

"Qrow, not now please."

"How's Tai?"

"Qrow, You're not okay! Talk to me!" Yang starts to raise her voice.

"Zwei?"

"...."

"Find any clues on raven?"

"...."

"Anyone find Oz?"  
"...."

"How about Cinder?"

"Qrow! Stop and listen to me! I-" Now I raise mine.

"NO YOU STOP AND LISTEN TO ME, YANG XIAO LONG!" I start to face the irritated Yang, to say the least. "I SAID I'M FINE! THAT MEANS DROP IT EVEN IF I'M THE OPPOSITE OF FINE! now I asked you some questions, and even though i don't care about the answer, either you're going to answer them, or you are going to get the fuck out!"

"Everyone is as fine as they can be considering Ruby is frozen in Atlas and you shut yourself in this room drinking more than usual, and started acting like more of a jack-ass!"

Yang turns around and slams the door. I start to go after her, to apologize because I know I'm wrong, but my feet won't let me pass the border of the room, my heart screams to stay here until Ruby is back to normal. With a heavy heart, I let Yang go. Returning to the hard floor, I lie down and fall asleep.

_The_ _loneliest_ _moment in someone's life is when they are watching their whole world fall apart, and all they can do is stare blankly_   
_~F. Scott Fitzgerald_


	2. Stone Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The exact same story is now on wattpad where i post more often. the username is the same Qrow_Is_Bae

_He grabbed my shoulder and said to me in a voice torn between an order and a plead for help_  
 _"_ Bring her back. Bring Pyrrha... Bring them both back."  _I nodded, having nothing to say to Jaune,and started towards the tower. As soon as I knew no one was looking, I turned into a crow and flew up as fast as physically possible maybe even faster._ _ **Dear God, let Ruby be okay. She has to be okay, she won't die. She can't, she-**_

_I stand still on the roof of Beacon tower, my vision falters, I crumble to the ground faced with the crushing sight of my darling niece lifeless on the ground next to a pile of dust, sitting atop of which was a golden circlet that must have belonged to the girl Jaune was talking about. falling to my knees I scramble desperately  to Ruby's side. Sobbing, clutching the small girl's body, feeling her flesh get harder and harder until it felt like a perfectly shaped statue of everything I swore to myself I would protect._

_"Ruby, please wake up come back to me, w-we can m-make cookies together just like we u-used to.....please please please.....please.....please." and all went black._

Eyes regrettably open to a blinding white room reminded that it was a dream, and reminded of how I felt the day it happened. That is until I turn my attention to what actually woke me up. A quiet knock on the metal door. which is quite strange because no one ever knocks, they just barge in with sympathy or irritation. I get up using both hands and lean over... that was a terrible idea. My hangover hits me like a body slam and there is instant throbbing. "Jesus fucking Christ whoever is here better be worth my time or they are going to have a shit time." groggy and angry the door is swung open. The boy standing there is is short forcing me to look down. Weird, he doesn't look irritated or sympathetic, he kinda looks like he doesn't know why he's here.  
"Shut up, I'm getting there." I raise an eyebrow in confusion. Did he just..talk...to himself? "U-um my name is Oscar Pine and I'm supposed to tell you that I would like my cane back?" Oh no, I can't deal with this crap right now.   
"Ozpin? is that you?" the words fall from my mouth in a drunk garble. Throwing the small child his cane I ask him, "What the hell is this? What the fuck happened to you." perturbed, I start to yell at poor Oscar, "First you disappear with out a trace, then Yang get's her arm chopped off, then  my other niece is frozen as a statue, not even sure if she's still alive, and now you show up here in Atlas inside a 12 year-old?!?!"  
"U-um I'm actually 14 mister Qrow S-sir." he squeaks meekly. Watching this poor kid, I come back to my senses and attempt to calm down.  
"Sorry kid, a lot's been happening." Despite being a shit excuse, it was a true excuse.  
"It's okay. Where is Miss Ruby Rose? Ozpin would like to see her."   
"I figured as much." Turning exaggeratedly but with a grim face I motion to Ruby, "There she is. Stone cold. A statue."

_**Sometimes the only thing you can do is watch. And hope for that small chance that it will get better.** _


	3. Crumbling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> same story is on wattpad, again the username is Qrow_Is_Bae   
> please enjoy

I watched carefully as the small boy approached Ruby.  _He better not fucking touch her, if he touches her, I don't care if it's Ozpin, he is going to die._

Eyebrows furrowed, clutching my sword I glowered at Oscar. I stare so hard I can almost see his muscles moving cautiously under his skin. Watching beads of sweat roll down his neck, I  _know. He_ knows I'm watching him. My menacing glare, or perhaps something else, it doesn't really matter, must've distracted him because I saw his finger touch Ruby's arm. Now I'm angry. Firmly gripping my weapon, I set it to scythe mode. With each click of metal, Oscar tenses.  
"Oh, it's on now, kid." And I lunge toward him. Right before my blade hits his neck, his eyes glow and Oscar suddenly dodges my attack.

"Now Qrow,"  _Wait, that sounds like Ozpin._  A small part of me says to calm down, but the other 95 percent says that I'm completely wasted, sleep-deprived and emotionally sunken. "I think we ought to calm down. You and I both know that it was merely an accident. And if you bothered to look, Ruby is  _just fine_." Ozpin tries to reason with me, dodging slash over slash of my weapon. Given the close peremeters I switch to the sword, however Ozpin continues to evade me effortlessly. Suddenly, I  the back of my mind I hear a small noise. The soft clanking of stone on metal, listening to it bouncing and skidding on the floor until it rolls to a stop. I freeze mid swing and the room goes silent in an instant. Slowly, with my heart pounding in my skull, I gaze in the direction of the noise.  
My eyes widen in disbelief. Staring straight back at me is a tiny piece of broken stone lays at Ruby's feet. Then it hits me like a slap to the face. The stone broke off off Ruby's skirt. She's starting to break. She's starting to die....

_Even in the grave, all is not lost_  
 _~Edgar Allan Poe_  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
 _ **Sorry for the really short chapter it just seemed better to break it off here.**_


	4. Love and Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> when it is written from Oscars point of view. when he communicates with ozpin, if the text is bold and italic, oscar is talking, if it just italic, Ozpin is speaking.

Oscar POV 

"Get out." I heard these words and I heard how Qrow was trying to hide how he was feeling by trying to sound emotionless.  ** _Ozpin, what do we do. We have to be able to help somehow._**

_I'm sorry Oscar, Qrow has to figure this out on his own. Otherwise it won't work._

**_What won't work, come on you have tell me. No secrets, especially not with something like this._ **

_Let me tell y-_

"I said get out! Leave now!" Snapped from my thoughts I saw Qrow whip his head around and scream at me. His anguish no longer containable, made every word he said sounded like his anger and sadness had contaminated his voice. Honestly it was contagious, instantly I was hit by a wave of misery. Not wanting to disturb him any longer, I quietly closed the door behind me. As soon as I had done so, I heard wretched sobs from within.

_Oscar, let me tell you some things, perhaps that will make it easier to understand. Qrow Branwen is the uncle of Miss Rose. She is the daughter of his best friend and teammate, Taiyang, and another teammate and close friend Summer Rose. Qrow and the little Ruby grew close almost immediately. One day, Ruby's mother, Summer, went on a mission and never came back. Ruby was a toddler at the time so she didn't understand what exactly was wrong. Qrow was always there for her, and when Ruby grew to be older, she tried to be there for Qrow as well. Whenever they both had free time, they would get together and have fun together. Ruby's admiration for her uncle knew no bounds, and Qrow loved her back just as much, after all, she was his precious niece. They both got older and Ruby entered Beacon Academy two years early and they separated. However, at they beginning I could tell that something about their relationships was changing. Miss Rose, though totally unaware, started falling in love with Qrow._

**_Ozpin, how do you know that, that seems awfully private, and well a lot of info for someone who you haven't known all their life and was sharing their feeling with on a daily basis._ **

_.....I have my ways of gaining information, and Qrow and I were close so he would share stories of them together all the time. Anyway, Ruby's power is largely controlled by emotions, before it is mastered. My theory is that she started to realize her feelings and embraced them, then being put through a traumatic experience her thoughts naturally traveled to the person who had supported her in the toughest of times, and the person her feelings were tied to the strongest...Qrow. Oscar, love is a messy thing. It can't be mastered, it can change how people think and react, but most importantly, it can not be controlled. Let me tell you this. Magic is real, and is very easily altered by emotions. So imagine that, times a thousand. I'm going to tell you how Ruby can be brought back.....but you must promise not to say how cliché  it is. Stories and legends have to come from somewhere, they don't just pop out of someones imagination, or else they wouldn't last this long._

**_Okay I promise, just tell me, I feel terrible not knowing._ **

_Very well, I must ask you something. No answer is required, but you have to think about what I'm about to say....Does this look like an uncle simply worried for his niece and if you think the answer is yes, then why does Ruby's own father and sister who also love her dearly, not show the same level and type of mourning?_

**_Oh my God, Ozpin, are you sure._ **

_Yes, what needs to happen is Qrow needs to finally consciously accept that he has fallen deeply in love with Ruby, and he needs to show an act of true love. However, we can't tell him this because, if he doesn't realize it himself, Ruby will actually die. When you saw a piece of rock break off of her, she wasn't dying. She was being revived. Their is still a long journey ahead of them. I just hope they don't mess up._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.  
~Robert Fulghum

 


	5. Tormenting Love

Cold presses against my skin as chills run down my neck into my spine. Forehead rested against my niece's, my vision begins to blur and scalding tears run down my cheeks and land on her stone face. My left arm wraps around her small body, my rights hand behind her head, small blood stains are left where I had cut myself. The stone has been crumbling away faster and faster, her body is staying intact, but her skirt... Gone, cape is gone, shoes and corset deteriorating. Slowly I whisper over and over I'm sorry in her un-hearing ears. There is nothing I can do for Ruby as the stone that signifies all I have left of her is slowly crumbling away. After a few minutes of silent sobbing, I retreated to a corner of the room and pulled out a small pocketknife. Slowly bringing the sharp blade against my my wrist bringing forth a slow stream of red surface and mix with salty tears that still rolled off my face.

"Well well well. Look what we have here. How pathetic, brother." I sharply turn to the sound of Raven's voice.

"Raven?" Looking back all I see is the same blank mask that I was forced to look at everyday growing up. "You're weaker than I thought. I overestimated you, brother."

"How could you let this happen to my daughter." Tai stares at me, his face full of dissapointment. Then out of nowhere, Yang grabs my shoulder and turns me around violently.

"You're useless! You really do only bring misfortune. Look at her...Look at what you let happen to my sister!" All my body will allow me to do is apologize over and over and look at her menacing face which is now riddled with tears. "She was your family, I thought you loved her! There's no apologizing for this."

"So much for _family,_ brother."

"Please, I'm sorry. I know that this is all my fault, but there is nothing i can do." Tears start searing my cheeks, following the same sad path as before. "Please stop tormenting me...Stop...Please..." But they won't leave.

"She doesn't love you. How could she, just look at you Qrow." Grabbing me by my shirt she yanked me towards her and snarled. "You have done  **nothing** to deserve her."

"My daughter could do so much better by just picking someone random up off the streets." Hearing these things sting, but it's not like I didn't already know that myself.

"Not only does she not love you, brother, I'm not entirely sure you love her either, I mean you let th-"

"Shut up!" My tears instantly stop. "I already know that, I already know how terrible a person I am. I don't deserve her, but I love her. That will never change. You can insult me all you want, say its my fault, yell at me, torment me, whatever, but never doubt that I am truly in love with Ruby. You have no right to do so. I love her more than anything else that I have ever loved combined!" And just as quickly as they came, they vanished, and the last of the stone that wasn't her body crashed to the floor. A long crack running across her face all the way down to her toes echoed through through the room.

" _Don't_ _tell me the moon is shining; Show me the glint of light on broken glass."_

_~Anton Chekhov~_


	6. She's Alive, Go Home

_No! This can't be happening yet. I'm not ready, what am I going to do no--_  
My thoughts are cut short. Staring at Ruby's face I see that some of the stone has crumbled away, revealing small patches of smooth porcelain skin and jet black and ruby red hair. I stared petrified and wide-eyed as more stone falls to the ground untill all that's left is Ruby Rose, about to fall, but my mind finally permits me to move and I catch the small unconscious girl in my arms and hold her as tightly as I dare.  
... _Wait_...  
heat rushes to my tomato red face as I become completely aware of the fact the her undeveloped chest is squishing against mine and my arm is holding her pretty high up on the backs of her thighs. _Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit! She's n-naked! Not even any underwear, my heart is pounding... OMG what the fuck do I do!_ I start to look down until I see her collarbone and almost scream again. _Damnit Qrow, close your eyes!_ The only thing that keeps me from screaming is the fact that if I scream someone is bound to come in and see this. Mouth and eyes tightly shut, I grab Ruby by the shoulders and gently late her down. My shaking hands struggle to unbutton my shirt to put it on her, while attempting to touch her and look at her as little as possible. Fortunately, my shirt is big enough to act as a short dress, providing enough coverage for me to wrap her in my tattered cloak. Picking her up bridal style I rush out of the room, past many confused guards and doctors, out the front door and towards the place where Tai and Yang are staying. Too concerned with getting Ruby home, I hardly even notice the puzzled faces of the Atlas citizens.   
_Finally..... We're here._ Completely out of breath, I head to the room that Yang is using and am extremely grateful that they are both out of the house. Yang's bed lowers under Ruby's weight, small cracking noises enter the room through the springs in the mattress. Her breathing appears normal so I take out my scroll and send a message to Tai and Yang that simply reads, ' She's alive, go home.' _she's so beautiful, her lips that are tinted pink are parted slightly as she breathes quietly._ Leaning forwards, placing a kiss on her forehead. Window opened, I jump out and quietly wait for them to get home.  
Several minutes have passed before I hear the door opened in a hurry. Tai is yelling Ruby's name while Yang runs through the room trying to find her. As soon as they enter, they go silent and start sobbing. Having made sure Ruby was okay, I fly off. I would say I did so with a heavy heart, but I no longer have one because I left it back in the room with Ruby.

~ _Feelings_ _don't walk away, people do~_


	7. The Hospital Visit

**This is at the same time that the previous chapter is occurring**

**Yang POV**

" Hey Dad, I got the apples, is there anything else we need in the produce section?" I call out to my father at the market, who is grabbing the vegetables we need for dinner.

"I don't think so firecracker, I think we can move on."

"Alright D-" A loud noise interrupts my thoughts, me and my Dad's scrolls go off at the exact same time, signifying a message. Confused we both reach for the scrolls to read the message. _It's-_

_"_ Qrow." Dad sounds really serious all of a sudden, he reads the message out loud. "Go home, she's alive? That's all it says." Suspiciously I reply with,

"Does he mean Ruby?"

"I don't know what else it could be... But why would we go home? She should still be at the hospital." He seems genuinely confused, and irritated. "Let's head over now." But I was already running. "Hey! Wait for me!" Dad called after me, but nothing was going to stop me now. My sister needs me.... No that's not right,  _I_ need _her._ My legs move as fast as they can as memories from that night come rushing to the front of my mind. Thinking about why I wasn't there for her, but my thoughts are halted because now I stand here, at the front entrance to the hospital, with dad panting behind me.

Upon entering the building, one of the doctors that had been assigned to Ruby came to us and asked,

"What are you two doing here?"   
"What?" My voice wavered in uncertainty at the the doctor's question. "What do you mean, we're here to see Ruby." The face I got in response made me even more concerned.

"Ms. Xiao Long, you didn't know? Mr. Branwen ran out carrying Ms. Rose as soon as her vitals started up again. I didn't see much but Ms. Rose appeared not to be frozen, or stone anymore. I saw her skin, but she looked as though she was unconscious." Her explanation makes no sense to me at all. "Some doctors tried to chase after them, but when they checked the system, she had mysteriously been checked out of the hospital, so we let it be knowing how difficult Mr. Branwen is." The doctor had finished speaking but I had already become furious halfway through. Dad noticed and thankfully spoke for me.

"Thank you for telling us miss. We will find them."

"Would you like help in your search?"

"No thank you, that won't be necessary, goodbye."

"Very well, have a nice day sir." Dad waved at the doctor and pulled me out of the hospital. We headed back to where we we're staying, however the trip was silent because I was too furious to talk.

As soon as we arrived we searched all over the house, eventually finding Ruby lying down in my room, still unconscious. Tears welled in my eyes. _She really is alive._ Grabbing her small hand I rest my forehead on hers and start to cry. I've missed her so much. Feeling her skin instead of stone. It feels like eternity since I've seen her the way she is supposed to be. Her warmth filled my body and all the built up tension melted away. I didn't notice for a while that dad had been standing in the doorway crying, looking at his baby girl, in a bed. Not a hospital room. Eventually, I left her side to allow dad to have his alone time with Ruby. He needed it. We both did.

Now by myself again, my thoughts drift towards Qrow, quickly pushing it away. I don't give a damn about him anymore. After all he's done. He didn't let anyone near Ruby, not even the doctors until we finally talked a miniscule amount of sense into him. All he did was get drink and cranky and sleep. He let his health deteriorate. I don't care what happens to him, I'm just happy to have my baby sister back.

Night fell but I didn't sleep at all. I sat on the bed next to my sister and stayed awake.  Hours later, something warm and familiar grabs my hand. It Ruby. She lets out a small painful moan and my mind snaps to attention , Ruby is opening her eyes.

"Ruby!" I screamed, louder than I intended to, as I throw my arms around her small frame and sobbed. The door slammed open, stood there was dad with messy hair and tired eyes. He too, ran over and hugged Ruby. After what felt like five minutes of hugging, we feel as though it had been enough.

"Where is Uncle Qrow?" We're the first words out of her mouth since she had woken up. "I need to see him."

**_~Waiting for someone you love is never easy. Especially when the one you're waiting for isn't aware that you're waiting~_ **


End file.
